Abstract: Techniques are described for accounting for travel time in scheduling appointments in an electronic calendar. For example, a travel time between appointments may be identified and a time block may be reserved on a calendar application to account for such travel time. Geographic locations of adjacent appointments in a calendar may be determined and a route between the geographic locations also may be determined. A travel time associated with traveling the route between the geographic locations may be computed and the computed travel time may be compared to unscheduled time between the adjacent appointments in the calendar to determine whether the unscheduled time exceeds the travel time. If it is determined that the unscheduled time exceeds the travel time, a time block may be reserved on the calendar application to account for the travel time.

Abstract: Instant messaging (IM) entities may be invited to an electronic calendar event using an instant message. Selecting the IM entities as invitees to the event may include dragging and dropping names of the IM entities from a buddy list of an IM application to an event from an electronic calendar application, or vice versa. A method of inviting an entity to a calendar event includes providing a calendar event from a calendar application and recognizing, by the calendar application, an IM entity as an invitee to the event.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a PLL (90), which may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware, which comprises a sync detector (92), a loop filter (94), a vertical sync discrete time oscillator (DTO) (98), and an output logic (100) adapted to detect a vertical sync (222), wherein the loop filter (94), the vertical sync DTO (98), and the output logic (100) are coupled to the sync detector (92).

Abstract: Transferring instant messaging sessions includes receiving a selection, from a user within a user interface, of at least one instant messaging session from among multiple instant messaging sessions to transfer from a first instant messaging controller on a first device to at least a second instant messaging controller on a second device, where the user is signed on concurrently to the first instant messaging controller on the first device and the second instant messaging controller on the second device. At least a portion of the selected instant messaging session is transferred from the first instant messaging controller on the first device to the second instant messaging controller on the second device and the transferred portion of the instant messaging session is made perceivable on the second instant messaging controller on the second device.

Abstract: Systems and method are provided for luma-chroma separation. A demodulator system demodulates a composite video signal to produce at least two baseband chroma signals. A given baseband chroma signal contains chroma information for one of a plurality of video frames comprising the composite signal. A three-dimensional (3-D) comb filter removes luma information from a given baseband chroma signal by combining sets of at least two baseband chroma signals to form a 3-D filtered baseband signal.

Abstract: A search tool graphical user interface comprises search criteria selected by an operator of the search tool. One or more search results that correspond to the search criteria are displayed on the search tool graphical user interface, and an indication of characteristics is displayed for one or more of the search results. The characteristics displayed may include the availability or maturity of content associated with the search results. The search results may be sorted or filtered based on the characteristics of content associated with the search results. The characteristics may be determined before or after the search results are identified and displayed on the search tool graphical user interface.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a PLL (90), which may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware, which comprises a sync detector (92) adapted to output a phase error (152), a vertical sync discrete time oscillator (DTO) block (98) adapted to output a vertical sync DTO (130) based on the phase error (152), and an output logic (100) adapted to detect a vertical sync based on the vertical sync DTO (130).

Abstract: A method for treating inter-frame motion in a series of consecutive signal frames of a composite video signal includes the steps of, for an evaluation pixel position in each frame of a test frame-set including three successive signal frames: (a) determining whether there is at least a predetermined difference in chroma component or in luma component signals at the evaluation pixel; (b) if in step (a) there is not a predetermined difference in chroma component signals or in luma component signals, determining whether a first and third frame of the test frame-set are substantially identical; (c) determining whether at least a first predetermined number of the luma or chroma component signals in the test frame-set present at least one false color; and (d) determining whether at least a second predetermined number of high frequency luma component signals exist in the test frame-set.

Abstract: Base band compensation for an IF stage in a television provides significant advantages over compensation applied to the composite signal. Each base band color difference signal is filtered to obtain cross-talk elements, which are then applied to the opposite channel to eliminate the cross-talk components from the color difference signal channels. The compensation technique is applicable to IF stages generally, including those based on SAW filters. High and low gain compensation of the cross-talk compensated signals may also be performed to reduce distortion in the compensated signals. The base band compensation tends to reduce or eliminate visual artifacts in a television image, especially where sharp contrast transitions occur in the image.

Abstract: System and method for an all-digital audio receiver for a BTSC MTS audio signal or other composite signal that is FM modulated. A preferred embodiment comprises a digital FM demodulator for receiving an analog to digital quantized SIF signal and performing demodulation and outputting a composite audio signal, and a digital audio processor for decomposing the composite audio signal into at least the SAP, stereo and monaural signals for audio reproduction. In a preferred embodiment, the digital audio processor is a programmable digital signal processor. In a preferred embodiment, the digital FM demodulator and the digital audio processor are implemented as an integrated circuit. Methods for processing the audio signal using the digital processors of the invention are provided.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a horizontal sync detector circuit (10) comprising a filter portion (12), an equilibrium accumulator portion (14) coupled to the filter portion (12), a horizontal sync detector portion (16) coupled to the filter portion (12) and to the equilibrium accumulator portion (14), and an output logic portion (18) coupled to the horizontal sync detector portion (16), the output logic portion (18) adapted to produce a phase error (116) based on a combination of a coarse phase error (108) and a fine phase error (112).

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting motion within a composite video signal. A first chroma difference element compares an in-phase chroma component of the composite video signal to a delayed representation of the in-phase chroma component to produce a first chroma difference value for a given pixel. A second chroma difference element compares a quadrature chroma component of the composite video signal to a delayed representation of the quadrature chroma component to produce a second chroma difference value for the pixel. A parameter mapping component maps the first and second difference values to respective first and second motion parameters that indicates the degree of change in the chroma properties of the pixel. A parameter selector determines a composite motion parameter for the pixel from the first and second motion parameters.

Abstract: Systems and method are provided for luma-chroma separation. A demodulator system demodulates a composite video signal to produce at least two baseband chroma signals. A given baseband chroma signal contains chroma information for one of a plurality of video frames comprising the composite signal. A three-dimensional (3-D) comb filter removes luma information from a given baseband chroma signal by combining sets of at least two baseband chroma signals to form a 3-D filtered baseband signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for dividing two digital values. A look-up table provides a first output value in response to a value of an input signal. The first output value corresponds to a first estimate of a reciprocal for the value of the input signal. An approximation component provides a second output value corresponding to a second estimate of the reciprocal value for the value of the input signal as a function of the first output value and the value of the input signal. The look-up table is configured to provide the first output value within a predetermined error sufficient to enable the approximation component to improve the first estimate within a second predetermined error by the approximation component employing a single iteration of the function of the first output value and the value of the input signal.

Abstract: A system to reduce noise includes a noise measurement device that provides a measure of noise associated with a digital input video signal. A noise reduction filter provides a noise-reduced digital output video signal corresponding to the luma and chroma of the digital input video signal. The noise reduction filter has a parameter that varies on a pixel basis for the component of the digital input video signal as a function of the measure of noise. The range and sensitivity of the noise reduction can be user programmable.

Abstract: A SECAM decoder and an FM modulator therefor are disclosed, in which a demodulated color signal is provided to indicate deviations in the frequency of modulated color information from a nominal subcarrier frequency. The demodulator comprises numerator and denominator filters operating on the modulated color information, and a divider providing a ratio result by dividing the numerator filter output by the denominator filter output. The demodulator may include two sets of numerator and denominator filters offset in phase from one another, where one of the two sets is selectively employed in order to mitigate divide-by-zero problems. Also disclosed are methods for demodulating digitized FM color signals in a SECAM decoder.

Abstract: A phase-locked loop is provided which is operable to lock the sampling clock (pixel clock) to the incoming horizontal sync pulse contained within composite video information. Given the input signal is a VCR signal or a normal noise-free signal, there exists two modes of operation, coarse lock mode and fine lock mode, which are used in controlling the phase-locked loop. In the coarse lock mode, coarse corrections are made to a horizontal discrete time oscillator so that a fast lock may be achieve using the fine lock mode. Coarse corrections are based on a normalized sum of weighted pixels collected within a narrow gate window. Lock is achieved when the falling edge is centered within the window. Given the input signal is a television signal having noise, there exists one mode of operation where the flat window phase detector is used instead of coarse lock mode to bring the sync edge to fall within the window, where the flat window normalization constant is tuned.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a horizontal sync detector circuit (10) comprising a filter portion (12), an equilibrium accumulator portion (14) coupled to the filter portion (12), a horizontal sync detector portion (16) coupled to the filter portion (12) and to the equilibrium accumulator portion (14), and an output logic portion (18) coupled to the horizontal sync detector portion (16), the output logic portion (18) adapted to produce a phase error (116) based on a combination of a coarse phase error (108) and a fine phase error (112).

Abstract: The present invention discloses a PLL (90), which may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware, which comprises a sync detector (92) adapted to output a phase error (152), a vertical sync discrete time oscillator (DTO) block (98) adapted to output a vertical sync DTO (130) based on the phase error (152), and an output logic (100) adapted to detect a vertical sync based on the vertical sync DTO (130).

Abstract: The present invention discloses a PLL (90), which may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware, which comprises a sync detector (92), a loop filter (94), a vertical sync discrete time oscillator (DTO) (98), and an output logic (100) adapted to detect a vertical sync (222), wherein the loop filter (94), the vertical sync DTO (98), and the output logic (100) are coupled to the sync detector (92).